CREATE SMARTER GOALS THIS NEW YEAR
A Smarter Way to Set Your Goals: How to Make Them Stick Using the SMART Method
A new season often brings a sense of fresh energy, an invitation to reset, refocus, and reconnect with what matters to you. Whether you want to feel stronger, improve your wellbeing, build a routine, or finally commit to something you’ve been putting off, goal setting can be powerful… if you do it the right way.
This is where the SMART method comes in. It transforms vague hopes into clear, actionable steps that your brain can follow. But SMART goals don’t have to feel rigid or corporate, they can be personal, meaningful, and completely aligned with how you want to feel.
Here’s how to use them more effectively.
1. Start With the Feeling, Not the Goal
Before you write anything down, ask yourself:
✨ How do I want to feel?
Energised? Strong? Less stressed? More confident?
Your feeling becomes your “why,” the anchor that keeps you motivated when life gets busy. Once you know the feeling, you can build SMART goals that support it.
For example:
If you want to feel strong → your goal might be strength training twice a week.
If you want to feel grounded → your goal might be to practice a weekly restorative session.
2. Turn Your Intentions into SMART Goals
The SMART method helps turn your ideas into something you can stick to:
S — Specific
Get clear on exactly what you want to do.
Instead of “get fitter,” try: “Attend two Reformer classes per week.”
M — Measurable
You need a way to track it.
“Two classes per week” gives you something to count, notice, and celebrate.
A — Achievable
The goal should be realistic for your current schedule and energy.
Going from zero workouts to five a week isn’t realistic—but one or two is.
R — Relevant
It must matter to your life, not someone else’s.
If flexibility is important to you, a weekly stretch session will feel meaningful.
T — Time-bound
Give the goal a timeframe.
Something like:
“I’ll complete eight classes in the next month.”
This gives your brain a finish line, motivation’s best friend.
3. Break Goals into Small, Doable Actions
SMART goals are powerful, but they still need tiny steps to get you started.
A big goal:
“Get stronger this season.”
Tiny steps to support it:
✔ Book classes every Sunday night
✔ Set out training clothes the night before
✔ Commit to 15 minutes of home movement on busy weeks – watch out for mini workouts coming soon! (already on our active advent!)
✔ Track your classes on a habit app or planner
Small actions build consistency and this ensures results.
4. Build a System That Makes Your Goal Easier
Your environment should support your goals, not make them harder.
Simple shifts can make a huge difference:
Keep your trainers by the door
Add sessions to your diary as non-negotiable appointments
Choose a class time that fits your natural energy
Tell a friend so you feel supported
Prep your water bottle or snacks the night before
Ensure you have created the time to work towards the goal – think about the days you are not at work or when you can arrange childcare.
When the path is easy, the goal becomes easy too.
5. Stay Flexible: Adjust, Don’t Abandon
One bad week doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
Goals are guides, not punishments.
If life gets hectic, ask:
🌀 How can I adjust?
Instead of skipping the week entirely, maybe you:
Do a shorter home workout
Swap a high-intensity session for something restorative
Move your class to a different day
Progress is never linear—SMART goals simply give you a structured place to return to.
6. Celebrate Your Wins (Especially the Small Ones!)
Motivation grows when you acknowledge progress.
Celebrate when you:
✨ Complete your weekly classes
✨ Notice something feeling easier (look back at photos)
✨ Choose movement on a low-energy day – perhaps just walk rather than run
✨ Stick to your plan for a month
✨ Feel the emotional benefit, confidence, calm, strength
Celebration turns your goal into a positive experience, not a chore.
Final Thoughts: Goal Setting That Supports you.
SMART goals work because they turn a wish into a plan, and a plan into a habit. But the most powerful goals are the ones connected to your wellbeing, your identity, and the type of life you want to create.
This new year, set goals that are:
🌿 Meaningful
✨ Realistic
💪 Achievable
📅 Structured
💛 Supportive
And remember, being consistent, not perfect, is what creates real change.